ittle at her call, considering the unfriendly spirit Miriam had recently
exhibited toward her. She greeted Miriam cordially. The laws of
hospitality were sacred in the Harlowe family, and not for worlds would
Grace have shown anything but the kindest feeling toward a guest under her
own roof.

Miriam accepted the chair and the cup of chocolate tendered her, ignoring
the plate of cakes offered by Anne. She looked about her like a marksman
taking aim before he fires. There was a danger signal in either eye.

"She is out for slaughter," thought Nora.

"Well, Miriam, what's the news?" said Marian Barber good-naturedly. "You
have a mysterious, newsy look in your eye. Is it good, bad or
indifferent?"

"How did you guess that I had news?" inquired Miriam. Then without waiting
for an answer she went on. "I certainly have, and very unpleasant news, at
that."

"Out with it," said Nora, "and don't keep us in suspense."

"Well," said Miriam, "I suppose you all noticed how the juniors outwitted
us at every point last Saturday? We put up a hard fight, too. The reason
of it was that they knew every one of our signals."

"How dreadful!" "How did they get their information?" "Who told you so?"
were the exclamations that rose from the assembled girls.

Grace had raised herself to a sitting position and was steadily regarding
Miriam, who, well aware of that keen, searching gaze, deliberately
continued:

"What makes the matter so much worse is the fact that we were betrayed by
a member of our own class."

"Oh, Miriam, you don't mean that?" said Jessica.

"I am sorry to say that it is true," replied Miriam, "and I am going to
put the matter before the class."

"Tell us who it is, Miriam," cried the girls. "We'll fix her!"

"Miriam," said Grace in a tone of quiet command that made every girl look
toward her, "you are to mention no names while in my house."

Miriam's face flamed. Before she could reply, however, Grace went on.
"Girls you must realize the position in which Miriam's remarks place me.
She is sure that she knows who betrayed our signals, and is willing to
name the person. Suppose she names some girl present. Think of the
feelings of that girl, my guest, yet not safe from accusation while here.
I should prove a poor sort of hostess if I allowed the honor of any of my
friends to suffer while in my house.

"The place to discuss these things is in school. There every girl stands
on an equal footing and can refute an